Electric fuel pump system



Nov. 10, 1959 P. H. KEHM EIAL 2,912,595

- ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP SYSTEM Filed Dec. 6, 1957 Fl/EL A'MIP name 1 1 x 1 x 1 I Gama-aura; ma no: comma; new/44m:

A C- DC GENERA 70R ATTORNEY United States Patent ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP SYSTEM Paul H. Kehm and Werner F. Schultz, Flint, Mlch., as-

signors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application December 6, 1957, Serial No. 701,044

8 Claims. (Cl. 290-36) This invention relates to an electric fuel pump "system for internal combustion engines in which the fuel pump is operated by an alternating current motor.

One object of the invention is to provide a system for supplying alternating current to energize the fuel pump motor during starting and running operation of the engine which will prevent continued operation of the fuel pump if the engine stops for any reason.

A further object is to provide alternating current windvings in a direct current starting motor to supply alternating current to the fuel pump motor during the starting operation of the engine and alternating current windings in the engine driven generator to energize the fuel pump motor during the normal running operation of the engine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a system in which the starting switch is utilized to control the supply of alternating current to the fuel pump motor from either the starting motor or the engine driven generator.

The foregoing and other objects, together with the advantages of the present invention, will be apparent from or pointed out in the following description of the embodiment diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

As shown in the drawing the usual storage battery 2 is connected by wire 4 to a fixed contact 6 of a relay or solenoid switch indicated generally at 8. This relay has a second fixed contact 10 connected by wire 12 to the direct current starting motor 14, and a movable contact member 16 which is normally spaced from contacts 6 and 10, as shown, but is adapted to be operated when the relay coil 18 is energized to engage contacts 6 and 10 and complete a circuit from the battery to the starting motor.

The fixed contact 6 is connected by wire 17 to a terminal 19 of a starting switch 20 which may be manually operated, when desired, to engage fixed terminal 22 connected by wire 24 to the coil 18 of relay 8. It will be understood that the starting motor 14 is adapted to be connected to the engine in the usual manner to crank the engine during starting when the switch 20 is manually closed to energize the relay coil 18 to complete the circuit from the battery to the starting motor as above described.

An alternating current motor 26 is provided to operate the fuel pump (not shown) which may be mounted in the fuel tank to deliver liquid fuel to the engine in the conventional manner. To provide a source of alternating current for the fuel pump motor 26 during the starting or cranking period, the starting motor 14 is provided with auxiliary alternating current windings which are adapted to be connected to the fuel pump motor by means of a relay indicated generally at 28 when the starting switch 20 is in closed position.

As diagrammatically shown, the slip rings which are connected to the alternating current windings in the starting motor are connected by wires 30 and 32 to the fixed contacts 34 and 36, respectively, of the relay 28. Therelay 28 has fixed contacts 38 and 40 connected by wires 42 and 44 to the fuel pump motor 26 with movable conice tact members 46 and 48 which are normally in the position shown in the drawing but are adapted to be op erated when the relay coil 50 is energized to engage contacts 34 and 38 and contacts 36 and 40, respectively. The relay coil 50 is connected by wire 52 to the contact 10 of relay 8 so that the coil 50 will be energized to thereby complete the circuit from the alternating current windings in the starting motor 14 to the fuel pump motor 26 whenever the starting switch 20 is in its closed position. When the engine starts to run under its own power and the starting motor 14 is stopped by the manual release or opening of the starting switch 20 which will deenergize the coil 18 of relay 8 and disconnect the battery from the starting motor 14, the circuit to the coil 50 of relay 28 will also be opened and the movable contacts 46 and 48 will return to the position shown in the drawings to connect the fuel pump motor 26 to a source of alternating current provided by a generator 54 arranged to be driven by the engine by means of a pulley 56 or other means.

As diagrammatically shown, the generator 54 may be provided with the usual direct current generating windings connected to the battery 2 through wire 58, a conventional generator voltage control regulator 60, and wires 62, 17 and 4 for charging the battery in the usual manner. The generator 54 is also provided with auxiliary alternating current windings which are connected by wires 64 and 66 to contacts 68 and 70, respectively, of the relay 28. When the relay coil 50 is deenergized the contact members 46 and 48 assume the position shown in the drawing to connect contact 68 to a contact 72 and connect contact 70 to a contact 74. The contacts 72 and 74 are connected by the wires 42 and 44, respectively, to the fuel pump motor 26 to supply alternating current to operate the fuel pump motor during normal operation of the engine.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that by the use of our invention direct current from the battery may be used to start the engine and alternating current will be supplied to the fuel pump motor during both'the starting period and normal operation of the engine. If the engine stops for any reason no current will be supplied to the fuel pump motor and no fuel will be delivered to the engine until the starting switch is manually closed to restart the engine.

It will be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment shown herein and various modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art and are contemplated as being within the scope of our invention.

We claim:

1. In an electric fuel pump system for an internal combustion engine, an alternating current fuel pump motor, a battery, a starting switch connected to close a starting circuit for the engine including said battery and a direct current starting motor having alternating current windings connected to energize said fuel pump motor whereby fuel is supplied to the engine during starting operation, an engine driven generator having alternating current windings, and a running circuit including said generator windings and said fuel pump motor connected to energize said fuel pump motor to continue the supply of fuel to the engine when said starting switch is opened and the engine is running under its own power.

2. In an electric fuel pump system for an internal combustion engine, an alternating current fuel pump motor, a battery, a starting switch connected to close a starting circuit for the engine to connect said battery to a direct current starting motor having alternating current windings, a circuit connecting said windings to said fuel pump motor including a relay having normally open contacts in said circuit which are closed when said relay is energized, means to energize said relay upon closure of said starting switch whereby fuel is supplied to the engine during starting of the engine, an engine driven generator having alternating current windings, and a circuit conmeeting said windings to said fuel pump motor including contacts on said relay which are closed when said relay is deenergized to continue the supply of fuel to the engine when said starting switch is opened and the engine is running under its own power.

3. The system set forth in claim 2 in which said engine driven generator is also provided with direct current windings, and means connecting said direct current windings to the battery to charge the battery when the engine is running under its own power.

4. In an electric fuel pump system for an internal corn bustion engine, an alternating current fuel pump motor, a battery, a direct current starting motor having alternating current windings, an engine driven generator having alternating current windings, means including a starting switch connecting said battery to said starting motor to start the engine, and means controlled by said starting switch connecting the alternating current windings of said starting motor to said fuel pump motor to operate the pump during the starting of the engine and thereafter connecting the alternating current windings of said generator to said fuel pump motor to continue the operation of the pump during normal running of the engine.

5. In an electric fuel pump system for an internal combustion engine, an alternating current fuel pump motor, a battery, a starting switch, a direct current starting motor having alternating current windings, a starting circuit connecting said battery to said starting motor upon closure of said starting switch, and means controlled by said starting switch connecting said alternating current windings to said fuel pump motor during starting of the engine.

6. In an electric fuel pump system for an internal combustion engine, an alternating current fuel pump motor, a battery, a starting switch, a direct current starting motor having alternating current windings, a starting circuit connecting said battery to said starting motor upon closure of said starting switch, a circuit connecting said alternating current windings to said fuel pump motor, a relay having normally open contacts in said circuit which are closed upon energization of said relay, and means energizing said relay upon closure of said starting circuit.

7. In an electric fuel pump system for an internal combustion engine, an alternating current fuel pump motor, means for starting the engine and supplying alternating current to said fuel pump motor to supply'fuel to the engine during starting, and means connected to continue the supply of fuel to the engine after the engine starts including an engine driven generator having alternating current windings which are connected to said fuel pump motor when the engine is running under its own power.

8. In an electric fuel pump system for an internal combustion engine, an alternating current fuel pump motor,

v a battery, means for starting the engine with direct current from said battery and supplying alternating current to said fuel pump motor to supply fuel to the engine during starting, and means connected to charge said battery and continue the supply of fuel to the engine after the engine starts including an engine driven generator having direct current windings connected to said battery and alternating current windings which are connected to said fuel pump motor when the engine is running under its own power.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,664,366 Kettering Mar. 27, 1928 1,770,149 Warshaw July 8, 1930 2,370,249 Korte et al. Feb. 27, 1945 2,504,670 Everest Apr. 18, 1950 2,557,298 Leece June 19, 1951 2,558,644 Claytor June 26, 1951 2,609,809 Parker Sept. 9, 1952 

